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Sunday, July 29, 2012

And what is a birthday without chocolate cake? (The answer is "pretty sad" if you are a chocoholic with a sweet tooth.)

I previously made a box worth of cupcakes from Better Batter's gluten free and dairy free chocolate cake mix that they sent me to try. I made them for an event and loved the convenience - what a breeze to make for someone who doesn't have all day to spend in the kitchen. Add water, oil and eggs to the dry mix and mere minutes later, the cupcakes are on their way to the oven. The cupcakes are wonderfully moist and as I mentioned in an earlier entry about their Yellow Cake Mix, they are a decorator's dream. The tops bake smooth and are ideal for decorating. The Better Batter chocolate cake mix tastes so rich - they are a great dessert! I love making and eating their cupcakes!
At my recent dessert-bringing event, my cupcake versus people ratio was off so I had plenty of leftovers. I took them home and froze them, hoarding them for future use...like my birthday. Turns out I can have cake without turning on the oven on a hot July day!

I've read tips from moms from allergic kids that you should cut the cupcake in half and then put the frosting on the inside so it freezes well (and you can make a bunch at once) so kids can have birthday treats with their classmates. The frosting on the inside is totally unnecessary. Over the past year, I have been freezing cupcakes - both naked and fully decorated. With the exception of some squishing of the frosting when I store them in too small containers (as pictured above), there are no issues with freezing decorated cupcakes. There are a few ways to defrost them:

Let sit at room temperature for an hour. This is best for people who have patience, can plan ahead, or want to throw it in a lunchbox.

Defrost with the 0.1 lb setting in the microwave. This is great for the warm straight-from-the-oven taste for those of you who normally eat your desserts while the pan is still burning hot from the oven.

Microwave on high for 1 minute for those of you who want the frosting to slide off and make a hot mess. This is not recommended if you prefer your desserts to look classy or presentable. Don't worry - it still tastes great.

Do you freeze your leftover cupcakes? Or are you asking "what's a leftover cupcake" because they fly off your kitchen counter?

Saturday, July 28, 2012

One of the coolest things I have
done lately is take a sushi rolling class.
Part of my plan of continuing my education is taking cooking
classes. (Official culinary education is
too expensive for me, but that doesn’t prevent me from taking classes offered
on Groupon, Living Social, and the Wilton cake decorating classes!) I decided to take Sushi Making...Just Roll with It through IWisshLessons. When I registered for the class, my signature
line identified me as a gluten and dairy free blogger, but I failed to come
outright and say that I could not consume those two allergens. Upon arriving for the class (which was held
at a downtown bar), I informed the ladies from the company that I was gluten
and lactose intolerant. They went through
the ingredients and could not think of anything that would cause me trouble
expect for the soy sauce. Of course, I
brought my own, thanks to San-J’s single serving soy sauce packets. Only when we got to the final roll was any
red flag raised regarding allergens – crabmeat.
Thankfully I pretty much memorized the lists of forbidden foods on the
gluten free diet over the past two years, so I avoided the crabmeat (imitation
crab is often bound together with wheat) and asked for more cucumber
sticks. Everyone was very accommodating
and our instructor was excellent. She is
a sushi chef at a nearby restaurant and was great with making sure everyone
knew what we were doing. I went to class
solo, but there were couples and groups of friends learning sushi rolling
together over a glass of wine or bottle of beer.

Our first roll was an extremely basic Cucumber Roll. We laid out our seaweed and spread the sticky rice over it, filling it completely except for a small section at the top. Then we laid the cucumber sticks on the rice and rolled it as tight as possible. Next, we cut the sushi into equal sized pieces. (Hint: if you dip a knife in water first, you'll get a cleaner cut.)

The second roll was a California Roll that
appeared to be inside out. It started
much like the first, but we added toasted sesame seeds. Then it was flipped upside down and then the
fillings were added.

The final roll could have been
made one of the two previously shown ways.
We had spicy tuna added to our ingredient repertoire. (It was quite spicy, too!) If we wanted, we could enter our sushi into a
friendly competition, judged by the I Wish representatives and the instructor. The competition was based on
presentation. As a blogger who almost
always has her camera attached to her wrist while doing anything food related,
I understood presentation. I carefully
plated my sushi and submitted my plate.
Although I lost, the instructor exclusively pointed mine out as
“exceptionally rolled”. Go me! Maybe I have a knack for this sushi thing
after all!

Overall, I recommend taking a
sushi class. The I Wish lessons were
well presented and the company’s reps were great about making sure we had the
necessary supplies throughout each step.
(Although they didn’t have to be so stingy with the paper towels – I
didn’t realize just how much one
needs to rinse their hands off after touching the sticky rice!)

My brother Chris is getting married this year! I'm a very proud big sister and am excited to be a bridesmaid in his wedding alongside my sister. We recently celebrated his wedding shower with my dad's side of the family. My step-mom coordinated my menu with the staff in advance and I promised to bring some dessert for myself with some to share.

Enjoy Life recently sent me their crispy handcrafted cookies to try. They would fit in perfectly with the shower! The day of the shower, I made a small batch of frosting (Crisco, powdered sugar, water, vanilla) and dyed it fuchsia in honor of their wedding color. I used only a Wilton star tip to decorate the cookies - they were simple yet surprisingly elegant and fast to make. The Enjoy Life cookies are fantastic to work with from a decorating perspective - their large flat surface makes a great canvas - especially the Sugar Crisp cookie.

The cookies tasted great. My brother said they reminded him of the almond cookies we would get at Chinese restaurants - but these were better. (Normally we only got a bite or two into those dried out cookies of our childhood before cutting our losses.) After sitting out for a few hours, they still had a great crispy bite and tasted very fresh. I recommend trying them...and falling in love! These are the delicious way that sugar cookies should taste!

I am a huge fan of Enjoy Life products. All of their products are gluten free and free of the top eight allergens (I'm in heaven) AND they are local (way to represent Chicago and the surrounding area!). Their products are free of artificial ingredients, trans fats, and genetically modified (GMO) ingredients. Let's just say I felt guilty adding frosting with food coloring to such a healthy cookie...

Have you decorated store-bought cookies and brought them to a party before? What are your favorite cookies to use?

I spent a recent weekend visiting my friends Jing and Zoe in
Madison, WI. They are vegetarian and I
am gluten and dairy free and (when good) low fructose. Surprisingly, it is easy for the three of us
to find delicious things to eat together!
Zoe pulled up the Madison Gluten Intolerance Group’s list of recommended restaurants. What a great list - there were tons of options! Jing and Zoe previously went to
Himal Chuli and loved it. Most of the
Nepali food is naturally gluten and dairy free so we went in with hungry
stomachs. Only a few of their dishes
were dumpling or bread based and they were mostly appetizers. Majority of the menu was vegetarian and in
the spirit of our group, I chose a meat free dish as well.

We started our meal off with a small cup of soup – vegetarian
and loaded with legumes, herbs and seeds.
I ordered Kurilo for my main course.
Potatoes, asparagus, and green onions expertly seasoned with brown rice
and garnished with lemon and half a cherry tomato. They were some of the most flavorful
vegetables I have had in a long time. I
was quite disappointed when my plate was empty.

Their prices are such a great deal, too. Many items are around $10 or less. It is a cozy restaurant – probably around two
dozen seats or so, but a great place to eat.
The staff was knowledgeable and attentive – our glasses were never half
empty before they were refilled with cold water with lemon, lime and I mint. This restaurant is worth a visit!

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

I’m at blog entry #200 and just a
few days over my the two year mark of blogging at Windy City Cooking: Living
Lactose and Gluten Free in Chicago. My
original mission was, “Hey look, Ma! I’m eating!” I’ve come a long way. Now it's "Hey look, strangers! I'm making really delicious things. Mom, want to read my blog, too?"

Three years four months dairy
free.

Two years gluten free.

Five months low fructose (well
sort of).

Dairy free has been going
great. I am fortunate that I can
tolerate sheep and goat cheeses. I have
started scratching the surface of my limits with my dairy intolerance and was
pleased to find that I can enjoy Creamy’s sugar free lactose free ice cream
that contains dairy. Despite my mom’s
wishes, I have not gone further and seen if I can tolerate some butter or
cheese. It normally can take half a day
to a day to recover from a dairy reaction and I have not ever been bored enough
to give it a shot. My life is too busy
to hit pause over a piece of cheese!

Gluten free gets easier every
month. More companies and restaurants are
joining the party. The online community
is growing. I was fortunate enough to
attend Nourish, the gluten free blogger convention, this spring. I met so many new people who share my diet
and have never been happier to be a part of this exciting, passionate
community. Earlier this year, I also
became the co-chair of the Chicago Chapter of the Gluten Intolerance
Group. We meet the first Monday of the
month at the South Loop Whole Foods at 8:00pm.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook for the latest happenings.

Being low fructose has undoubtedly
been the hardest restriction yet. Going
vegan for a month was a breeze in comparison.
I used to drink a can of Coke a day (39 grams of sugar) and two servings
of fruit juice (easily 60-80 grams of sugar) in addition to eating fruit and
sweets. I stopped buying juice and
switched over to diet soda. At the
recommendation of a few dietitians, I then kicked the diet soda habit as
well. After a month of being low
fructose (probably 5-10 grams of sugar a day), I lost about five pounds and was
dizzy from the weight loss. I was
paranoid about what I was eating and in essence, stopped snacking and
unintentionally cut a lot of calories.
How I felt from the weight loss was about how I felt on over 100 grams of
sugar a day. With my doctor’s blessing,
I added fructose back into my diet. Currently,
I’m mostly juice and soda free; I’ll still dip my gluten free communion bread
into grape juice at mass and I will continue to enjoy fruity cocktails or wine
at bars on a special occasion basis.
Throughout the past months, I have figured out what an acceptable level
of sugar is in my diet: about 30 grams.
I still have one symptom with that level of sugar, but am working with a natural health doctor to minimize it. I am fortunate
that I have the freedom to choose how much fructose is in my diet, unlike my
“must avoid all things” restrictions with gluten and lactose intolerance. Shockingly, I have been able to tolerate a
frosted cupcake much better than I can six raspberries. I make as many of my meals as I can low
fructose so I can use my available allotted grams of sugar towards sweets. Does that make me a bad person or a genius?

Having food intolerances was
shockingly one of the best things that happened to me. I am in touch with how my body is feeling and
better understand the relationship between my body and food. Food used to exclusively be fuel. Now, it is delicious and I look forward to
eating. Blogging has been great fun and
has challenged me to make better food choices as well as up the ante of my
cooking. My first year out of college, I
filled my grocery bags with packaged goods.
I only bought raw meat once – the rest of my meat came from frozen,
pre-cooked chicken patties, chicken fingers or hamburgers. I spent that year as the costumer for Tony n’ Tina’s Wedding and ate pasta
with tomato sauce, Italian sausage, and French bread with a glass of Coke every
time we had a show (up to 5 or 6 times a week!). Not a single meal I made that year would have
been safe for me to consume with my newfound restrictions. All of my intolerances started after an
emergency appendectomy almost four years ago.
There is a chance that I was always predisposed to these intolerances
and the surgery was the trigger to flip the switch on. It took a while to name all of the
issues. It took several doctors before
someone finally mentioned Celiac Disease to me and only after the negative
results, did I create a one week gluten free experiment. Miraculously, I felt fantastic without gluten
in my diet. As soon as I ate wheat
again, my symptoms came rushing back.
Officially, I have Non Celiac Gluten Intolerance.

Looking back on pictures of me
before, during and after my gluten eating days are pretty funny. Not only did my hair dramatically change (not
pictured: the months of being a blonde or a red head), but I can see it in my
eyes that I was very sick and detached with reality in 2010, right before
learning what “gluten” meant. I’m alive
and well! And better than ever! Now let’s not add any more restrictions next
year…

And yes, that Chicago wind really does love my hair. Why do you think I'm Windy City Cooking?

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

For our July Gluten Intolerance Group Meeting (shameless plug: our meetings are the first Monday of the month at 8:00pm at the South Loop Whole Foods), we talked all about dining out gluten free. Here are the tops and tricks we shared as well as a list of some fantastic Chicago restaurants!

Dining Out Tips and Tricks

Research/Call Ahead!
A quick internet search can find reviews from other gluten free diners to see if a restaurant can accommodate food allergies and intolerances. The best source, however, is calling the restaurant. Some places can even provide gluten free bread (sometimes at an additional cost) with advance notice. Call the restaurant between 2:00 and 4:00pm so they are not in the middle of a mealtime rush and can thoroughly answer your questions. When making reservations, leave your name along with your food allergies, then the restaurant is better prepared. Major chains have their allergen lists readily available online. It is best to dine early in the evening to avoid the dinner time rush.

Come prepared!
Whether it is a piece of bread, bag of crackers or cookies, or single servings of San-J’s gluten free soy sauce, come prepared for your meal.

Speak up!
Upon arriving at the restaurant, inform the host or hostess that you have a food allergy. Ask if they can accommodate you, or if a manager or chef can assist you before you even sit down. When talking with your server, it often helps to have a script that is tailored towards your diet and needs. You are your own advocate! If you have gluten intolerance or simply enjoy a gluten free diet, it may be better to use terms like “gluten allergy” or “Celiac disease” to add weight to your request. Ask questions about how the food is prepared. You’ll never know if they carry gluten free beer unless you ask. You may even be surprised by the vast selection!

Substitute!
Remember: plain is okay. Many sauces contain wheat as a thickening agent. Perhaps drizzled olive oil can boost the flavor? Want to spruce up a plain baked potato if you are dairy free? Ask for some chopped chives. Substitute with different vegetables or grains. Make sure stocks and broths do not contain gluten.

Use a restaurant card!
Triumph Dining sells ten laminated cards (American, Chinese, French, Greek, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Thai and Vietnamese) cards that are tailored to each cuisine. All cards are written in two languages and are conveniently broken into sections including “I cannot eat”, “Please check” and “I can eat” as well as detail cross contamination concerns. Triumph Dining also sells disposable dining cards (American), Gluten Free stickers, a restaurant guide and much more!
You can always write your own restaurant card detailing your specific allergies or intolerances.

Know what to order!
Ordering a salad without the croutons is an easy choice. But what about chicken wings? Although they can be baked, many restaurants fry them in oil with those containing wheat. Ask how the food is prepared. Are any red flags raised?

Confirm your order!
When your food arrives, ask if it is gluten free. And yes, you can send the food back if it contains gluten, but make sure that it is a new dish and the server did not simply remove the piece of bread from the plate.

Trust your gut!
If you suspect your food is not gluten free, do not feel obligated to eat it. Always trust your gut.

Tip well and review!
Tip well so the server and restaurant will look forward to customers with food allergies returning. Politeness also goes a long way – help pave the way for future gluten free guests by being an outstanding restaurant patron. Be sure to review the restaurant on sites such as Yelp.com so other people can enjoy the food and service there.

Foodlife and Mity Nice
Water Tower Place 835 N Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60611
Upon arriving, ask for their gluten free menu from the host/hostess. This upscale cafeteria style
restaurants has many gluten free options. Mity Nice, whose entrance is through Foodlife, has several
gluten free options, including buns.http://www.foodlifechicago.com/http://www.mitynicechicago.com/menu/

For those with Smart Phones, be sure to check out our members' recommended apps:

Major Thanks

Major thanks goes to Swirlz Cupcakes for proving these yummy gluten free and vegan mini cupcakes for our meeting! The quickly emptied box shows how much our members loved them!

Coming Up Next with GIG:

New to a Gluten Free Diet? Or are you the top Celiac Chef in your family? Come join the Chicago Chapter of the Gluten Intolerance Group every month at 8:00pm in the Whole Foods South Loop (1101 S Canal St, Chicago) classroom. Meetings are always free and open to all.
Our next meeting is August 6 - Morning Fuel Ups. This meeting is all about revamping your bowl of cereal and discovering some new family favorites for even the most hectic mornings! From bagels to doughnuts and from waffles to oatmeal, learn more about the best options for your breakfast plate.
Follow the Chicago chapter of GIG on Twitter at @ChicagoGIG or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GIGofGreaterChicago

Let's keep this list going! What are your favorite restaurants for gluten free dining in Chicago? What tips did we miss? What app can't be missed?

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

I am forever in the habit of second guessing people's gluten free claims (do they even know what gluten is?). I assumed popcorn would be gluten free
naturally, but once you start adding flavors, risks increase for cross
contamination or even flat out gluten joining the food, the chance of everything decreases dramatically.

I spoke with Tim Donelley at
the Daley Plaza Farmer’s Market (who did not let the 99 degree weather on
Thursday stop him from selling his food to hungry Chicagoans.) Everything they make at Mother Butter’s is
gluten free because his wife needs a gluten free diet. A few years ago, they turned to cookbooks
their food from scratch. They went
through old family recipes and found recipes for desserts and caramel. It was
the best caramel they ever had. They
realized that it was very easy to make things the right way – without any
additives or processing. Their family-owned popcorn
business was soon born.

The Donelley’s research everything
they use. They investigate to make sure
there are no fillers or gluten in any of their purchased products. What a relief for those of us who are gluten intolerant/sensitive/allergic and are looking for a safe and super tasty snack. No artificial sweeteners or shortcuts are used in their food. They use real cheddar cheese, pounds of cashews, and pure white truffles in some of their different popcorn flavors, for instance.

At the farmer’s market, only one
of their popcorn varieties is dairy-free: their white truffle salted. No truffle oil here – they use real pure white truffles. It makes it a bit pricier, but oh my
goodness! I have never had popcorn that
tasted so rich in my life! As much as I
am a chocoholic, I would glad have a bowl of Mother Butter’s white truffle
popcorn for a sweet treat any day! This
is the kind of popcorn that deserves to be eaten with a fine glass of wine! (I quickly ate my way through a bag - I meant to share but turned into a hoarder instead. I can't believe I wasted so many years of my life with bad popcorn! Their popcorn is one of the best things I have ever eaten!)

Be sure to check them out. Their bags do offer a warning: all popcorn is
made on the same equipment that processes nuts.
In their store, they can make more varieties dairy free. On their website, you can order popcorn by
the gallon – up to 6.5 gallons! Their
popcorn (and fudge, nuts and more) would make great gifts – they even offer
options on their website for wedding party favors! These will be a great gift to give people a
taste of Chicago’s finest.

Their store is 2 blocks east of
US Cellular Field – 17 W 35th St, Chicago, IL 60616. Grab some delicious gourmet bites before a White Sox game. Check them out at their store, their website, or on Facebook! Or ask for a sample at the Daley Plaza Farmer's Market!

Friday, July 6, 2012

I tend to be the person who buys
a lot of the freshest vegetables at the farmer’s market, excited by all the
possibilities, but once I get home and am hungry, I’m stumped for new ideas. My favorite go-to (and very easy) recipe involves simply sautéing
vegetables and then tossing them with pasta.

The Chicago summers have kicked
into high gear (103 degrees today!) and with it goes my desire to prepare
complicated meals. Washing and cutting
vegetables is very soothing to me (I am a huge dork) but the last thing I want
is a meal that is going to raise the heat in my kitchen or require me to keep a
diligent watch over my pans. After
adding the garlic, these vegetables only require a few seconds of stirring here
and there.

This is such a basic recipe; swap
in whatever vegetables you have and use your available herbs. My basil plant just started having leaves big
enough to eat, so I could not add as much as I would have liked. As the summer continues, I’m sure to be
repeating this recipe. On unbearably hot
nights, this makes a delicious cold summer dinner that is packed with veggies
to keep me going.

Prepare the noodles according to
the package’s directions, adding salt and a splash of olive oil to the water.

Heat the oil in a large pan over medium heat.
Add the minced garlic and cook until aromatic (about 30 seconds). Add in the summer squash and zucchini and sauté
until just tender. Add in the tomatoes and herbs and cook for an additional two minutes. Remove from heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the noodles. Serve warm or cold.

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

When I was filming a story on gluten intolerance with NBC at the farmer's market near the start of my gluten free journey, they wanted me to go to a vendor and have someone tell me no, they did not sell anything gluten free. Way to set me up for rejection. I went to the Delightful Pastries stand and was positive they would tell me I could not buy anything. So I asked, hopeful for rejection for a good news story.

They had TWO gluten free items.

Way to turn the rejection tables on me! I was stuck finding another vendor who would politely tell me no. And then coming back to their stand later and buying some cookies.

Delightful Pastries is a family run bakery based in Jefferson Park, Chicago. They have been in business for over ten years and just opened a second location in Old Town. At the Daley Plaza Farmer's Market, I spoke with Olga about their gluten free cookies. They have two options: Flourless Chocolate Pebbles and Macaroons (with the macaroons coming in a wide variety of flavors). I couldn't keep up with the macaroon options as Olga rattled them off: passion fruit, chocolate, caramel, raspberry, Parisian almond... They are also dairy free. What sets them apart from other bakeries, Olga said, was they they do not use any artificial flavors or food coloring. "We use real products to color our food. Its pure, its healthy and it tastes good." When the bakery makes macaroons, that's all they make the entire day. What a great way to prevent cross-contamination!!

I bought some raspberry and some coconut macaroons. Both macaroons were filled with flavor. The coconut ones were still soft a few days later. The raspberry ones had me craving more - I could not stop at just one! These are cookies that I would buy again. They are very elegant and would make great gifts because honestly, who doesn't like cookies? Especially ones with super short ingredients lists, no artificial flavors and locally made.